Hose-supporter.



Patnted Nov. I8, |902.

`F. M. -osoou HOSE SUPPORTER.

(Application led Dec` 13, 19013;

(No Model.)

25 i@ M fm1@ 'itin mames ainr trice.

HOSEHISUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,673, dated November 18, 1902 Application filed December 13,1901. Serial No. 85,753. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. Oscoop, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester, county of Hillsboro, State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvementin HoseSupporters, of which the follo\ ing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to garters or hosesupporters; and it has for one of its objects to provide a novel form of gentlemans garter which is constructed to support the stocking on opposite sides and is also of such a construction as to be readily adjustable for persons of different build.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of clasp for engagement with the hose or other garment to be supported and which is of such a construction that it may be secured to the hose at any point between the top and the foot thereof.

My improved garter comprises a strap or web, preferably of elastic material, to the ends of which the clasps of novel construetion, to be hereinafter described, are secured, combined with a connecting member, which is preferably adjustable as to its length and which has means for detachably securing the same at one or both ends to the strap intermediate the ends of the latter. The construction is such that the connecting member and the portion of a strap between its point of connection with the ends of the connecting member are adapted to encircle the leg, while the ends of the strap form depending portions, which support the stocking. The clasps at the ends of the depending portions comprise two jaws pivoted together,one of the jaws having a bulge or protuberance, which when the jaws are in operative position is adapted to be received in a socket or concavityin the other jaw. In operation the jaws are opened and a fold of the stocking is then folded over one of the jaws, after which the jaws are closed and when closed operate to grip or bite the fold therebetween. By means of this construction the clasp may be secured to the stocking at any convenient point.

In the drawings, Figure l is a View of my improved gentlemans garter, showing the manner in which it is used. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the clasp when opened. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the clasp closed and showing the manner in which it grips the stocking. Fig. 4 is a section on the line Qc as, Fig. Fig. 5 is a section on the line gj y, Fig. Fig. h' shows a modified form of clasp. Fig. 7 is an edge elevation of my clasp. Fig. 8 shows a modified form of clasp. Fig. U is a detail of one form of half-clasp which maybe used, and Fig. l0 is a modified form of clasp. Fig. ll shows a garter adapted to support long hose.

Referring to Fig. l, it will be seen that the garter comprises a single strap or web 3, preferably ot' some suitable elastic material, to the ends of which the clasps 4, which are to be presently descrihed,are secured. Vheu in use, the central portion of the strap 3 encircles the back part of the leg, and the ends 5 of said strap depend, as shown in Fig. 1, and have the clasps et secured thereto. Passing around the front of the leg is a connecting strap or member G, which is preferably adjustable as to its length and which is adapted to be secured at its ends to the main strap or web 3 at points intermediate the ends of the latter, the points being in the line of the central portion of the latter. With this construction the loop of the garter, which completely encircles the leg, is composed of the central portion of the main strap 3, which central portion I have designated as 7 and the front connecting member 5.

To connect the connecting member l'o the main strap 3, I preferably use half-clasps on each of said members, and, as illustrated, the main` strap 3 is threaded through a half-clasp 8, having the vertical slot 9 and the inclined slot lO, the strap or band 3 as it is threaded through said slots being turned from a horizontal to a vertical direction, as seen in Fig. l. The end of the half-clasp 8 is shown as having an aperture to receive a hookedhalfclasp ll, which is secured to the end of the connecting-band 6. By means of this construction the garter may be readily removed by unhooking one of the hooks 10 from the half-clasp 8, as will be apparent.

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It will be observed that the half-clasps 8 may be adjusted upon the band or web 3 so as to make the central portion thereof shorter and the depending portion 5 thereof longer, or vice versa, as shown in dotted lines, according to the length of stocking or the size 0f the leg. Any other suitable form of halfclasp 8 may be employed, however, provided it has the capability of being adjusted on the web 3. It will thus be seen that my garter is not only adjustable to different sizes, but also operates to support the stocking on both sides, thus making the device more comfortable to wear.

The clasps 4, which are employed in connection with my improved garter, have, as I have said, two jaws of peculiar construction pivoted together, between which a fold of lthe stocking is adapted to be clamped.- Preferably these jaws are substantially L-shaped or V-shaped and comprise a iixed member or jaw 20, having an eye in the upper end thereof through which the end 5 of the garter is secured. The said jaw 2O has the arm 22, which stands substantially transverse to the line of the depending portion 5 of the web or slightly inclined thereto, as shown in Figs. 3 and 10, the upper transverse edge a of said varm constituting a holding edge over which the fold of the stocking or other garment is passed, as will be more fully hereinafter described. The shape of the jaw is preferably such that the arm 22 is situated in a continuation of the line of the web 5 and directly underneath the same. Pivoted to the jaw 2O at substantially the angle between the arms thereof is a pivoted jaw 23, which may be of any suitable shape and which, as illustrated inFigs. 2 and 3, comprises the arms 24 and 25. The arms 22 and 25 of the two jaws have interlocking portions, one of-said arms having al concavity in which .is4r received a convexity or protuberance on the otherarm, and between said arms a fold of the stocking is gripped.

In my preferred construction I make the arm 25 with the concavity or socket 26, and the arm 22 has the protuberance 27, which when the jaws a`re in operative positionis received by the concavity or socket. As illustrated in Fig. 4, I prefer to make the protuberance substantially V-shaped'in vertical cross-section, so that the jaws may shut more easily, but will preferably make said protuberance curvilinear in horizontal section, as seen in Fig. 5.

As seen in Fig.7,the jaws are spaced slightly from each other, this being accomplished by providing between them at the pivot portion a spacing-block 28 in the form of a sleeve surrounding the pivot-pin which unites them.

When attaching the clasp to a stocking, the pivoted jaw 23 is swungvinto the position shown in Fig. 2 or still farther back, when a fold of the stocking will be folded over the holding edge aon the jaw 22, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5. Thereafter the pivoted jaw will be swung into the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby clamping the fold between the jaws 25 and 22, the concavity and convexity of these jaws serving to firmly hold the stocking.

To lock the jaws in their operative position, I may, if desired, provide the jaw 24 with a slight depression 30, with which coperates a slight projection or protuberance 3l on the arm 21 of the jaw 20. I may also, if desired, provide the jaw 23 with a slight projection or hand-grip 32, by means of which it can be readily turned to either grip or let go of the stocking.

Whilein my preferred embodiment the concavity or socket 26 is in the pivoted jaw, yet it is within the scope of my invention to place the same in the xed jaw, as shown in Fig. 6, wherein 26/ is the concavity. In this instance the pivoted jaw 23 would have the protuberance 27.

In the form of my invention described above the protuberance 27 and the concavity 26 will preferably be made by stamping the metal of the arms' 22 and 25 into an approximately concavo-convex form. If desired, however, the protuberance may be made by securing a solid piece to the straight face of the arm f 22, this form of myinvention being illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein 25 is the arm of the pivoted jaw and 26 the concavity stamped or pressed therein.

The arm of the xed jaw is designated by 22L in Fig. 8, and this corresponds to the arm 22 in the other figures. It will be noticed, however, that the arm 22a is straight and has a protuberance 27a secured to the face thereof, which protuberance coperates with the concavity 26. The said protuberance 27a may be of any material and secured to the arm in any suitable way; but in FigQS I have illustrated a rubber protuberance, this being preferable, as it serves to grip the stocking more firmly. f

I will preferably provide the rubber protuberance 27* with a iiap or web 40, which is adapted to extend over theupper edge of the arm 22 and partially cover the inside .face ofy said arm, and a rivet or other securing means 4l will be passed through the web and projection, as shown.

In a clasp of this nat-ure, where the stocking is folded over the upper edge of the arm 22, a large part of this strain to which the clasp is subjected is taken by the upper edge of said arm, and by making this upper edge rubber-coated there is a greater friction between the stocking and the jaw, andconsequently less strain upon the socket portion of the device.l

In Fig. l0 I have illustrated still a different form of the invention,wherein the arm 22b is inclined slightly and the pivoted jaw 23b is of substantially triangular shape, as shown, the said jaw having a concavity 26",

with which coperates a suitable projectionA upon the jaw 22h. In other respects, how- IOO IIO

nacre ever, the device shown in Fig. i0 is similar t0 that shown in the remaining figures of the drawings.

Since my improved clasp is adapted to receive a fold in the stocking, it will be evident that it may be secured to the stocking at any point between its top and its foot, and therefore the clasp portion of my invention is especially adapted 'for supporting long hose, as illustrated in Fig. 9. In this ease it would be fastened to the end of an ordinary band or strap 38, which in turn will be secured from the waist of the person, and the clasp 4 may then be secured to the stocking in any convenient position, as shown in said Fig. i).

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the construction of the device without in any way departing` from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

By the term L -shaped as used in the specification and claims I do not intend to limit my invention to a shape of jaw wherein the arms stand at right angles to each other, as it will be obvious that the arm over which the stocking folds may be more or less inclined without departing from the spirit of my invention. I have used the term L- shaped, therefore, as referring to a jaw having two arms at an angle to each other without reference to the particular angle.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a garter, a strap or web having a clasp secured to the end thereof, said clasp comprising a fixed jaw member and a cooperating jaw member pivoted thereto, said fixed jaw havingaholding edge extendingsubstantially transverse to the direction of the length of the strap, one of said jaws having a socket therein and the other a projection which interlocks with the socket, the construction being such that a fold of the garment may be passed over the holding edge and clamped between the said jaws.

2. In a garter, a strap or web having a clasp secured to the end thereof, said clasp comprising a fixed jaw member and a cooperating jaw member pivoted thereto, said fixed jaw havingaholding edge extendingsubstantially transverse to the direction of the length of the strap, one of said jaws having a socket therein and the other a projection faced with rubber, which projection is adapted to be received by the socket, the construction being such thatafold of the garment may be passed over the holding edge and clamped between the said jaws.

3. A clasp for a hose-supporter comprising two resilient jaws having opposed substantialiy fiat faces adapted to receive between them a fold of the garment to be supported and a pivot uniting said jaws for relative movement about an axis perpendicular to the faces, the face of one jaw having a socket and that of the other jaw having a protuberance with inclined sides which extends beyond the plane of the face of the first-mentioned jaw and is adapted to be received by the socket.

4. A clasp fora hose-supporter comprising a fixed jaw having a holding edge extending substantially transverse to the direction of the line of strain, a cooperating jaw pivoted to said fixed jaw, said jaws having substan tially parallel opposed faces which are substantially perpendicular to the axis` of the pivoted jaw, the `face ofone of said jaws having a socket therein and that of the otherjaw having a protuberance, the construction being such that a `fold of the garment to be supported may be passed over the holding edge and clamped between the opposed faces of the jaws, the protuberance being received in the socket when the jaws are in holding position.

5. A hose-supporter comprising a strap or web to the end of which is secured a substantially L shaped jaw, one arm thereof extending transverse to the line of the web and having a substantially straight upper edge, and a correspondiugly-shaped jaw pivoted to said first-mentioned jaw, the transverse arms of one of said jaws having a V-shaped protuberance and the corresponding arm of the other jaw having a socket to receive said protuberance.

o. In a hose-supporter, a strap or web having a depending portion and a clasp secured to the end thereof, said clasp comprising a xed substantially L-shaped jaw and a similarly-shaped jaw pivoted thereto, one of the arms of said fixed jaw extending transverse to the direction of the length of the strap and having a face tointerlock with the corresponding arm of the other jaw.

7. A clasp for hose-supporters, comprising asubstantially Il -shaped member attached to the end of a web, and a correspondinglyshaped jaw pivoted thereto, said member and jaw having interlocking faces between which a fold of the material supported is adapted to be clamped.

8. A clasp for ahose-supporter, comprising a fixed and a pivoted jaw of substantially L shape, one arm of one of said jaws having a socket and the corresponding arm of the other` jaw having a protuberance to fit said socket.

t). A clasp for a hose-supporter, comprising a fixed jaw of substantially L shape having` a rubber covering over which the stocking to be supported is adapted to be folded, and a cooperating jaw pivoted to said fixed jaw, one of said jaws having a socket and the other a corresponding protuberance to fit said socket.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK M. VOSGrOOD.

Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH,

JOHN C. EDWARDS.

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